The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has inspected the successful reclamation of 320 hectares of mined-out sites at Manso Nyankomanse in the Ashanti Region.

During a visit to the site on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, the Minister commended the completion of the project, which has restored areas devastated by illegal mining activities.

Addressing the press, he said land reclamation remains a top government priority and expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved so far.

According to the Minister, the government will continue to implement more reclamation programmes to restore large parcels of land lost to illegal mining across the country.

“I am delighted to be here today at Manso Nyankomanse in the Ashanti Region to inspect the reclamation of degraded mined-out sites undertaken as part of Government’s national reclamation agenda and the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative,” he stressed.

“I am pleased to note that a total of 320 hectares have been reclaimed across Site One (Nyankomanse – 240 ha) and Site Two (Asare – 80 ha) under this initiative. These reclaimed lands will help restore ecological balance, improve land productivity, and contribute to the long-term socio-economic development of the affected communities,” Armah-Kofi Buah added.

Inspecting the project, the Minister thanked Newmont Ghana Limited for supporting the successful completion of the exercise.

He also called on the corporate community to collaborate with government in spearheading such initiatives, noting that joint efforts are key to restoring environments damaged by prolonged illegal mining activities.

“I commend Newmont Ghana Limited for supporting Government beyond its statutory obligations and for contributing meaningfully to national environmental restoration efforts. We are also very grateful to the contractor who undertook this reclamation work — RM ECORESTORE GH LTD — for the excellent job done. We expect that the trees will be planted during the rainy season to complete the land restoration effort,” he said.

“Together, through collaboration and shared responsibility, we can reclaim our lands, restore our water bodies, and secure a sustainable future for generations to come,” he further emphasised.

The Minister was accompanied by his Special Advisor, Prof. J. S. Y. Kumah; Director of Forestry at the Lands Ministry, Mr. Joseph Osiakwan; CEO of the Minerals Commission, Isaac Tandoh; NAIMOS Director of Operations, Colonel Dominic Buah; Spokesperson to the Minister, Mahmoud Kabore; and Media Relations Officer at the Ministry, Paa Kwesi Schandorf.

Speaking at the site, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, commended the sector minister for his bold commitment to fighting the menace of illegal mining.

He said that although the fight against galamsey has been challenging, he is impressed by the political will of the Minister in tackling the issue. Dr. Amoakohene pledged his continuous support to combat the menace, especially in the Ashanti Region, noting that while government is not against mining, it will continue to take action against persons who destroy the environment.

The District Chief Executive and the local Chief also expressed gratitude to government, assuring that they will continue to safeguard the environment from destructive mining activities.

The restoration of degraded lands is part of government’s five-pronged approach to addressing the scourge of illegal mining.

So far, about 5,500 hectares of land, equivalent to 7,500 football fields, have been lost to illegal mining. Government says this will soon be addressed through aggressive land reclamation efforts in partnership with the private sector.